Gospel:
As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus, sat by the roadside begging. On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, son of David, have pity on me.” And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he kept calling out all the more, “Son of David, have pity on me.” Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you.” He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus. Jesus said to him in reply, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man replied to him, “Master, I want to see.” Jesus told him, “Go your way; your faith has saved you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way.
Gospel Trivia:
The gospel passage on Bartimaeus is immediately preceded by the account of James and John jockeying for the prime positions in Jesus' Kingdom, only to be rebuked by Jesus' admonition that "those who wish to be great must be the servant." The two disciples misunderstood the purpose and mission of Jesus -- they thought of being in power, while Jesus thought of serving and sacrifice.
It will take the faith of Bartimaeus to bring home the message to the disciples and early Christians for which the gospel was written. The following "trivia" would help us better understand this message:
- Jericho - this is the last "pit stop" before Jerusalem, where Jesus is crucified; Mark makes use of this venue to preach the faith required of a disciple.
- Bartimaeus - when the name of the person is mentioned, this usually means that the gospel writer wants to emphasize the story as especially important (just as the names of Jairus and Zachaeus were mentioned).
- "son of David" - this connotes the kingship of David but also includes the suffering that goes with it, which the blind man understands; unlike in previous occasions, Jesus does not ask Bartimaeus to stop from assigning the title to him, only because Bartimaeus understands suffering comes with discipleship.
- "threw aside his cloak" - the cloak is used to gather the alms given to a beggar; throwing it aside means giving up everything to follow Jesus
- "followed him on the way" - for the early Christian disciples, following the teachings and life of Jesus was referred to as The Way.
Mark reveals the "blindness" of the disciples, or those who follow Jesus and expect a reward or believe that they can earn God's favor. Discipleship, as symbolized by the blind man, includes a strong dose of suffering and faith to see through that suffering.
References:
- Nil Guillemette, SJ, A Kingdom for All (Manila: St. Paul Publications, 1988), pp. 87-88.
Gospel:
James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” He replied, “What do you wish me to do for you?” They answered him, “Grant that in your glory we may sit one at your right and the other at your left.” Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I drink or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” They said to him, “We can.” Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink, you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared.”
When the ten heard this, they became indignant at James and John. Jesus summoned them and said to them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Gospel Trivia:
The message of this gospel account is quite clear: the way to lead is to serve the needs of others (servant leadership). The following "trivia" may help us appreciate the passage even more:
- The setting of this gospel account is on the way to Jerusalem, the royal city, and the disciples must have remembered what Jesus previously said (as narrated by Matthew and Luke) that they would sit on twelve thrones to judge the twelve tribes of Israel. So it was an opportune time to bring up the topic on who will have more authority and power among them. The concept of reward for effort was also a prevalent notion among Jews and the disciples were, understandably, expecting something for all their hard work.
- Jesus does not rebuke the disciples, but reminds them of the requirements of leadership:
a. drinking the cup - the "cup" is a symbol of both joy and suffering in Jewish culture
b. baptism - this is often used as a symbol of water, and water is associated with calamity or of being flooded with calamities.
Discipleship is both a privilege and a commitment to stand for Jesus' principles of unconditional love, forgiveness, and justice for the least, last and lost.
Reference:
- Nil Guillemette, SJ, A Kingdom for All (Manila: St. Paul Publications, 1988), p. 84.
Gospel:
As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up, knelt down before him, and asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus answered him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments:
You shall not kill;
you shall not commit adultery;
you shall not steal;
you shall not bear false witness;
you shall not defraud;
honor your father and your mother.”
He replied and said to him, “Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth.” Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him, “You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” At that statement his face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.
Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” The disciples were amazed at his words. So Jesus again said to them in reply, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” They were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “For human beings it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God.”
Gospel Trivia:
Jesus challenges the rich man's attachment to riches and presents it not just as a major obstacle, but an impossibility, in obtaining eternal life; comparable to a camel going through the eye of a needle.
This is not a startling fact as we readily acknowledge that one's attachment to wealth makes it difficult share and extend love to our neighbors. But consider this: in biblical times, wealth (together with good health and children) were considered blessings for the Lord. If you are rich, then you must be good. Conversely, if you are poor, then it can only be because you are a sinner and did not follow the Laws of Moses. You did not contribute money to the temple, you did not fast, you did not pray, and you broke several of the hundreds of Moses' laws (many of which the common folk did not, and could not, know since the poor were illiterate and uneducated.)
Thus, Jesus was not just challenging one's attachment to wealth, but the very mindset that one could earn his/her way to the Kingdom of God by simply religiously following rules.
To Jesus, the essential requirement is acknowledgment that eternal life is pure grace -- an initiative of God out of simply the goodness of God's heart.
Reference:
- Nil Guillemette, SJ, A Kingdom for All (Manila: St. Paul Publications, 1988), pp. 82-83.
Gospel:
The Pharisees approached Jesus and asked, “Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?” They were testing him. He said to them in reply, “What did Moses command you?” They replied, “Moses permitted a husband to write a bill of divorce and dismiss her.”
But Jesus told them, “Because of the hardness of your hearts he wrote you this commandment. But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, no human being must separate.”
In the house the disciples again questioned Jesus about this. He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”
Gospel Trivia:
The Pharisees asked Jesus whether divorce is legal, and whether he agreed with the laws of Moses which allowed it. Note that divorce was already practiced way before the time of Moses. Moses however controlled divorce by introducing two things:
a. specific grounds where divorce would be allowed -- but even in such cases, the law only tolerated divorce, rather than authorized or sanctioned it;
b. requiring that a bill (or certificate) of divorce be issued to the wife (as referred to in the Gospel).
The importance of the certificate is that this prohibited the husband from taking her wife back ever again, which deterred men from divorcing their wives without due consideration.
Nevertheless, note that Jesus does not dwell on the legality of the divorce, but on the "will of God" or intent of marriage, which transcends whatever grounds the laws at that time allowed.
Up to today, advocates of divorce cite the grounds which should validate divorce; those against cite the intent of marriage to be a perpetual relationship. Let's also include in the discussion HOW couples can attain the higher purpose for which marriage is intended -- to be living and dynamic witness of the fidelity and unconditional love of our God.
Reference:
- Nil Guillemette, SJ, A Kingdom for All (Manila: St. Paul Publications, 1988), p. 77-78.
